GAD A TROOP SHALL PRESS UPON HIM, BUT HE SHALL PRESS UPON THEIR HEEL. R. Jesse said: ‘The conjunction of the two letters gimel and daleth indicates the issuing forth of troops and hosts, gimel giving and daleth receiving.1Gimel (g׳mul)=beneficence, and Daleth (dalluth)=poverty. The connection with armies is not clear.
That river which perennially flows from Eden supplies the needy, and therefore many hosts and many camps are sustained from here; and this is the significance of the name Gad, one producing and giving, and the other collecting and taking.
R. Isaac said: ‘Had Gad not been one of the sons of the handmaids, he would have risen to greater heights than all the rest. For the hour of his birth was propitious, but the flowing river departed at that moment, and therefore he had no share in the Holy Land and was removed from it.’
R. Judah said: ‘Reuben was in the same case, as it is written of him, “unstable as water, thou shalt not excel”, which indicates that at his birth the waters stopped and did not flow. Neither Reuben nor Gad obtained a share in the Holy Land, but they provided troops and forces to conquer the land for Israel. The deficiency of Gad was made good in Asher, as it is written: “Out of Asher his bread shall be fat, etc.” ‘
גָּד גְּדוּד יְגוּדֶנוּ וְהוּא יָגוּד עָקֵב. רִבִּי יֵיסָא אָמַר, מִגָּד אִשְׁתְּמַע, דְּהָא חֵילִין יִפְקוּן לַאֲגָחָא קְרָבָא, מַשְׁמַע דִּכְתִיב גָּד, בְּכָל אֲתַר גִימֶ"ל (רל"ד ע"ב) דָלֶ"ת, חֵילִין וּמַשִּׁרְיָין נָפְקֵי מִנַּיְיהוּ. דְּהָא גִימֶ"ל יָהִיב, וְדָלֶ"ת לָקִיט. וּמֵהָכָא (נ"א משכא) כַּמָּה חֵילִין וְכַמָּה מַשִּׁירְיָין תַּלְיָין בְּהוּ.
GAD A TROOP SHALL PRESS UPON HIM, BUT HE SHALL PRESS UPON THEIR HEEL. R. Jesse said: ‘The conjunction of the two letters gimel and daleth indicates the issuing forth of troops and hosts, gimel giving and daleth receiving.1Gimel (g׳mul)=beneficence, and Daleth (dalluth)=poverty. The connection with armies is not clear.
תָּא חֲזֵי, הַהוּא נָהָר דְּנָגִיד וְנָפִיק מֵעֵדֶן, לָא פָּסְקִין מֵימוֹי לְעָלְמִין, וְהוּא אַשְׁלִים לְמִסְכְּנֵי, וְעַל דָּא קָיְימֵי כַּמָּה חֵילִין וְכַמָּה מַשִּׁירְיָין, וְאִתְּזָנוּ מֵהָכָא. וְעַל דָּא גָּד, דָּא אַפִּיק וְיָהִיב, וְדָא לָקִיט וְנָקִיט, וְאִתְּזָן בֵּיתָא וְכָל אַנְשֵׁי בֵּיתָא.
That river which perennially flows from Eden supplies the needy, and therefore many hosts and many camps are sustained from here; and this is the significance of the name Gad, one producing and giving, and the other collecting and taking.
אָמַר רִבִּי יִצְחָק, אִלְּמָלֵא דְּהֲוֵי גָד מִבְּנֵי שְׁפָחוֹת, שַׁעְתָּא קַיְימָא לֵיהּ לְאַשְׁלָמָא יַתִּיר מִכֹּלָא. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (בראשית ל) בָּא גָד קְרִי, וּכְתִיב בָּגָד חָסֵר אָלֶ"ף, דְּהָא שַׁעְתָא קָיְימָא בִּשְׁלִימוּ, וְאִסְתַּלַּק מִנֵּיהּ. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (איוב ו׳:ט״ו) אַחַי בָּגְדוּ כְמוֹ נָחַל, בְּגִין דְּהַהוּא נָהָר דְּנָגִיד, אִסְתַּלַּק בְּהַהִיא שַׁעְתָא, וּכְתִיב בָּגָד חָסֵר אָלֶ"ף, וְעַל דָּא, לָא זָכָה בְּאַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא וְאִסְתַּלַּק מִינָהּ.
R. Isaac said: ‘Had Gad not been one of the sons of the handmaids, he would have risen to greater heights than all the rest. For the hour of his birth was propitious, but the flowing river departed at that moment, and therefore he had no share in the Holy Land and was removed from it.’
רִבִּי יְהוּדָה אָמַר, מִנַּיִן לִרְאוּבֵן דְּהֲוָה כְּהַאי גַוְונָא, כְּדִכְתִיב, פַּחַז כַּמַּיִם אַל תּוֹתַר דְּאִסְתַּלְּקוּ מַיִין וְלָא נְגִידוּ, וְהָא אִתְּמָר בְּמָּה אַפְגִים. וְתַרְוַויְיהוּ לָא זָכוּ בְּאַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא, וְחֵילִין וּמַשִּׁירְיָין אֲפִיקוּ לְאַחְסָנָא לְהוּ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל אַרְעָא. תָּא חֲזֵי, מַה דְאִתְּפַגִים בְּגָד, אִשְׁתְּלִים בְּאָשֵׁר, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, מֵאָשֵׁר שְׁמֵנָה לַחְמוֹ וְהוּא יִתֵּן מַעֲדַנֵּי מֶלֶךְ. הַשְׁתָּא אַשְׁלִים גִימֶ"ל לְדָלֶ"ת.
R. Judah said: ‘Reuben was in the same case, as it is written of him, “unstable as water, thou shalt not excel”, which indicates that at his birth the waters stopped and did not flow. Neither Reuben nor Gad obtained a share in the Holy Land, but they provided troops and forces to conquer the land for Israel. The deficiency of Gad was made good in Asher, as it is written: “Out of Asher his bread shall be fat, etc.” ‘